Method of ornamenting watch-cases and other articles of jewelry



(No Model.) l

T. BENPIELD.

THE METHOD OF ORNAMENTING WATCH GASES AND OTHER ARTIGLES OF JEWELRY.

No. 275,569. I Patented Apr. 10,1883.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS BENFIELD, on BRooKLYN, NEW YORK.

METHOD OF ORNAMENTI NG WATCH-CASES AND OTHER ARTICLES OF JEWELRY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 275,569, dated April10, 1883.

Application filed J annary 29, 1883.

To all whom it-may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS BENFIELD, of thecity of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Watch-Cases and other Articlesof Jewelry, of which the followin g is a specification.

The present invention relates to ornamenting watch-cases and otherarticles of jewelry with raised metallic figures or designs enameled incolors; and it consists, first, in the method by which suchornamentation is effected, and, second, in a watch-case or other articleof jewelry provided with such ornamentation.

In my Patent No. 237,085 of February 1, 1881, is described a watch-case,in which the raised ornamentation is entirely covered with a coating ofcolorless or transparent enamel, whereby the appearance of the raisedmetallic figures and designs is not affected, but remained the same asif no enamel had been ap plied. The object of that invention wastoprotect the raised figures from wear and abrasion and from dust andoxidation.

The object of the present invention is to produce artistic and beautifulornamentation up on articles of jewelry by covering the raised figures,or some parts thereof, with colored enamels, whereby flowers, leaves,birds, and other representations raised above and secured to the surfaceof the article can be colored, tinted, and shaded to closely resemblethe objects which they represent.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, whichrepresenta watch-case, and in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the watch-case,and Fig. 2 is a cross-section along the line .70 w of Fig. 1.

In the drawings the raised figures or designs covered with colored ortinted enamels are designated by a, and the surface of the watchcase towhich such figures are secured is des ignated by b. a

The central ornamentation shown in the above drawings, to which myinvention relates, is produced as follows: The figures or designs arecut or struck up from metal of the desired quality, and preferably inseparate pieces, so that by partially superimposing such pieces uponeach other natural and life-like effects can be produced. The parts orpieces which (No model.)

are to constitute the designs are arranged in position upon the surfaceof the article which may be finished up with engine-turned straightlines, or in any other way, or it may be left plain. The proper quantityof hard solder is disposed upon and in proximity to the ornaments orfigures, so that when melted it will firmly bra-ze the several pieces toeach other and to the surface of the article. When this is done powderedenamel, preferably in the condition'of paste, and having the desiredcolors and tints, is applied with delicate tools to the parts to beenameled, the colors'and tints being chosen and applied by the artist toproduce the desired effects. Forinstance, leaves may be covered withshades of green, scarlet, crimson, or brown, or other colors.

In order to facilitate the work and produce more natural effects, partsof the design, as flowers, birds, 850., may in the first instance becovered with white enamel or enamel of neutral shades. After the enamelhas been laid in place heat is applied sufficient to fuse the enamel,and when cool the unfinished parts as the white or neutral shades-may betinted and shaded as desired by the use of the fusible paints employedfor decorating china or glass. Such painted parts should afterward becoated with a thin layer of transparent Extremely beautiful and naturaleffects are producedby the application of colored butpartially-transparent enamels directly to bright metal surfaces. Forinstance, the centers of various flowers, the plumage of tropical birds,820., may be successfully imitated by fusing the transparent coloredenamels directly upon the bright surface of gold or silver, in whichcase the luster of the metal imparts a beautiful gem-like brilliancy tothe enamel.

Instead of placing the raised ornaments upon the bare surface of thearticle, soldering them thereto, and then enamelingthem as above setforth, it is preferred, for the purpose of protecting the surface fromoxidation, to cover it with a protective coating before theornaments arelaid'upon it. A composition of ocher and borax-well known tojewelerse-when spread over the surface in the condition of powder orpaste and fused, will form a good protective coating. The ornaments,with the solder properly disposed, are arranged upon such coating andthe surface heated directly beneath the ornaments, when the ornaments,with the melted solder, will fall down through the melted coating and besecured to the metallic surface of the article. The ornaments can thenbe enameled, as above sett'orth, the coating removed, and the surfacecleaned by treating with acid, in the usual manner. By these means thesurface is fully protected during the soldering and enamelingoperations. When the enameling is completed, the unenameled parts may befur ther finished up by additional engraving or chasing, it being foundthat the effects of delicate lines and shading can be more artisticallyproduced when the ornaments are secured in their final position.

If desired, the surface of the article, as well as the aised ornamentsthemselves, may be' covered with a coating of transparent enamel. This,however, would notbe generally prac ticableunless the metal surface wassufficiently pure as not to tarnish or become discolored under thefusing heat of the enamel; but in such case the appearance of thecolored enameled ornaments would remain substantially the same, and theornaments and the surface would be fully protected; also, the parts ofthe surface contiguous to the raised ornaments may be coated with a darkenamel, contrasting in color with the colored enameled ornaments, andthe whole coated and protected with transparent enamel, substantially asset forth in my said Patent No. 237,085.

I am informed that ornaments have been enameled, and afterward beenriveted or screwed in place upon articles of jewelry; butsuch articles,in addition to their expense, must be objectionable from thecircumstance that the edges and angles of the ornaments are not closelyfastened upon the surface of the articles, and consequently areveryliable to catch in the clothing and become bent or torn away.

In order to produce fine work, the raised metallic figures must besecured in place by hard solder or brazing, and, as it is verydifficult, if' not entirely impracticable, to so secure such ornamentsto the surface of the article after they have been enameled, as theenamel fuses at a lower temperature than the solder, it follows that theornaments should first be soldered in place and then enameled, as aboveset forth.

What is claimed as new is- 1. The herein-described method ofornamentingwatch-cases or other articles of jewelry with raised metallic figures ordesigns, which consists in covering the surface to be ornainentcd with aprotective coating, upon which the figures or designs are placed,melting the protective coating, and securing the figures or designsdirectly to the surface of the article by means of solder or by brazing,and then applying colored enamels to the figures ordesigns and fusingthem in place.

2. A watch-case or other article of jewelry having raised metallicfigures or designs composed of several separate pieces enameled in 00105, and secured directly to the surface of the article by soldering orbrazing, substantially as and for the purpose described.

THOS. BENFIELD.

Witnesses:

tomam H. Dumas, R. F. GAYLORD.

